Spencer X Spencer
by mlr96
Summary: Just a bunch of one-shots I will write and upload whenever I get the muse. Suggestions in reviews will be most welcome! Story 4, Part 2: "That's Spencer Reid. He's my…" "I'm his boyfriend," Spencer said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "I mean… if he still wants me to be."
1. Let's Go Steal A Bank Robbery

**A/N:** **Sometimes I wonder what did my plot bunnies drink and if they could possibly get me some of that... A small plot bunny who had been bugging me for months now and I wrote last night. Will be a series of one-shots whenever I have the muse for it or whenever you'll give me ideas.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or Criminal Minds.**

* * *

 **Story 1:** **Let's Go Steal A Bank Robbery.**

The kids in the secluded end of the park were kicking the young boy, around three or four years younger than them. They were all screaming at him and laughing until one of them, who seemed to be in charge, marked them to stop.

"So," he told the younger boy. "Will you do our homework?"

"It's not my job to do your homework," coughed out the boy. "Do it yourself, McMillan."

"Now, now, Spencer," McMillan said. "This could be a lot easier for all of us if you just said 'yes'. Do you think we really enjoy doing this?"

"Actually, I do," Spencer bit out, only to receive another kick to the stomach.

The beating was about to be resumed when a new voice called out, "Why don't you go pick on someone your own size?"

"Eliot!" McMillan said with a big smile. "Here to join the fun?"

"Leave him alone," Eliot replied. "It's not his fault you're too lazy to do your homework."

"Come on," McMillan said. "Don't kill the fun."

"I'll do a lot more than that if you won't walk away right now," Eliot threatened.

The two teenagers looked at each other for a moment before McMillan gave up.

"Let's go, guys," he told the group. "He isn't worth our time anyway."

He walked away and they followed, but Eliot made sure none of them was coming back before leaning next to the younger kid.

"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching out a hand and helping Spencer stand up.

"I'm fine," Spencer said. "Been through worse."

"You shouldn't be," Eliot told him. "I'm Eliot Spencer."

"Spencer Reid," Spencer introduced himself.

"You're the genius one, right?" Eliot asked with a smile. "I think you were in my Math class last year."

"I don't like being called genius," Spencer muttered.

"You should," Eliot replied. "You got brains, kid."

"Brains don't stop them from kicking me."

"Well, now there's me to do that," Eliot said, allowing the younger boy to lean on him for support. "And guess what? I do my own homework."

From that moment on, Spencer Reid and Eliot Spencer were almost inseparable. Both of them weren't very popular due to the families they came from, but nobody actually dared to do anything that might piss off Eliot, so the two were left to their own.

They were each other's best friends, and swore it would remain that way. Soon enough, though, the two of them finished high school and they each turned to their own paths – Spencer being offered a scholarship in CalTech and Eliot joining the US Army. They remained pen pals for a while until one night when Eliot showed up scared and on the run.

"I gotta disappear," he said, "But I wanted to say goodbye before I do."

"Why do you have to leave?" Spencer, now sixteen years old, asked. "You're my only friend."

"You'll make more," Eliot promised him. "You just need to stop being so scared of them."

"Please don't go," Spencer said, holding on to his friend as he begged him to stay.

In the morning, Eliot was gone and Spencer was left with nothing more than a note saying he was sorry and the memory. He finished his PHDs and went to the FBI. He was accepted to the BAU and became a profiler. He made new friends, all the while keeping track of Eliot Spencer, whenever he could.

Little did he know, Eliot Spencer kept an eye on him, as well.

* * *

"Nate, I gotta go," the hitter said, running out of the kitchen and towards him room to grab his coat. "I'll probably be back tomorrow."

"Whoa, whoa!" Nathan Ford walked towards him, a glass of scotch in his hand. "We're starting a new case in a couple of hours, you can't just go."

"Sorry," Eliot said. "Gotta go. A friend needs me."

"A friend from the 'Scull smashing, head banging' gang?"

Eliot glared at Hardison. "A childhood friend," he said, heading towards the door.

"Eliot, wait, where are you going?" Sophie called after him.

"Virginia," he replied shortly before disappearing.

"Do you want me to follow him?" Parker asked from where she was laying on the sofa.

"I could always track his phone," Hardison offered.

"Do that," Nate said thoughtfully. "But first, find me what happened in Virginia in the past couple of minutes.

"Not much," Hardison replied, searching away on his computer. "A couple of small break-ins, a bank robbery with hostages –"

"That," Nate said. "What have you got there?"

"I don't think this is where Eliot went," Hardison said, reading in what he could about the robbery. "At least, I hope so. The FBI's all over the place."

"Why?" Sophie asked.

"One of the hostages is their agent."

* * *

Earlier that day, and with no awareness of what was about to happen between the members of the Leverage group, Spencer Reid accidently got himself into a hostage situation at the bank.

He wasn't on a case there – no, that would at least have some resemblance of making sense. He just went to the bank to activate his new credit card. And the bank got robbed.

 _'It could have been worse,'_ he thought to himself, looking at the thirty-something people around him. _'At least I don't have my badge, so they don't know I'm FBI. I'm just like any other hostage here.'_

"Step any closer and I'll shoot the nerd kid!" one of the robbers called into the phone, pointing his gun at Spencer who sighed to himself. Of course it would be him they're going to shoot. "I want half a million and a way out of the country in the next hour or I'll start shooting people," he told whoever it was on the other end of the line. "No, this is where you're wrong, Agent Hotchner. This is _not_ a negotiation."

 _Hotchner_. That means the team was out there – Hotch, Rossi, Morgan, Prentiss. Maybe even JJ and Garcia. Spencer let a small feeling of relief creep into his mind. His team is out there. They will fix this.

They _have_ to fix this.

* * *

"Now isn't really a good time, Hardison!" Eliot muttered into his phone as he was looking at the Federal Agents who were trying to find a way to get all of the hostages out of the bank without letting the robbers get what they wanted. "I'm kinda in the middle of something."

"And I suppose your plan to deal with that something was to walk straight into a group of world-class profilers?" Nate's voice asked from the other hand of the line. "How do you think that would help any of the hostages?"

"How did you find out about that?" he asked.

"Searched for news in Virginia and crossed it with your current location," Hardison replied. "Piece of cake."

"Well, this is my business, not any of yours," Eliot snapped. "So just leave me alone and let me deal with it."

"No," Sophie replied. "We're a team now. We help each other. Deal with it."

"This isn't any of your business," Eliot repeated.

"It became our business the moment it became your business," Nate said. "Now give me the details."

Eliot sighed. There was no way he was going to win this argument, was there?

"The robbers entered the building about two hours ago," he said. "It was most likely a planned robbery gone wrong when one of the cashiers set up the silent alarm. As soon as they heard sirens, they took out their guns and things got bad."

"How many hostages?"

"Thirty three, including the bank manger, four cashiers and the security guards."

"What about the FBI agent trapped in there?" Sophie asked. "Do you think the robbers knew he was there?"

"I really hope not," Eliot muttered. "It probably won't end well if they did."

"One last question," said Nate. "Are you there to help the robbers or do you know one of the hostages?"

"Hostages," Eliot said, not even paying attention to the fact that they honestly thought he was there to help people rob a bank after they threatened civilians. "An old friend."

"And…" Sophie's hesitation could be heard from across the line. "How close, exactly, were the two of you?"

"Does it matter?" Eliot all but growled.

"Considering the fact you almost handed yourself over to the FBI for them, yes, it matters," Nate retorted.

"We were close, alright?" Eliot said "Very close."

"Okay," Nate said. "We've got the building's layout here, and I'm gonna talk you through it. Are you ready?"

"Always," he replied.

"Alright," Nate said. "Let's go steal a bank robbery."

* * *

The Leverage team was in the middle of the room. Parker talking Eliot through getting in without the robbers seeing him as Sophie read everything they knew about the hostages, trying to guess which one was Eliot's friend. In the meanwhile, Nate went through the files Hardison retrieved about the FBI team that was standing outside and Hardison was trying to hack into the security system to hide whatever was going inside from the Feds.

"Damn, the FBI hacker is good," Hardison muttered to himself. "I don't know who they got, but they managed to notice I'm hacking them."

"Penelope Garcia," Nate supplied, reviewing her file.

"Penelope – are you saying Penelope Garcia's working with the Feds now?" Hardison questioned. "Man, that's just wasted talent!"

"You know her?"

"You can say that," Hardison replied. "I don't think there's a hacker who doesn't know her. It could be a problem, though."

"How big of a problem?" Eliot asked from the other end of the line.

"Pretty big seeing as she taught me everything I know," Hardison told him. "The bright side here is that she also taught me everything _she_ knows."

A minute later left the FBI computers running the same ten seconds in which one of the robbers was pacing back and forth around the bank and the Leverage team with footage of what was actually going on.

"Earpiece in, Eliot," Nate ordered, leaning in to get a closer look of what was happening. "You've got five minutes before they realize what we just did."

"Copied that," Eliot said, putting his earpiece and walking inside.

During the first minute, it looked like nothing was going on. The hostages looked scared as always, the robbers were talking to each other nervously. Then, Eliot came in.

With three quick movements, he disarmed the robbers of their guns, tossing them to the other side of the room and out of anybody's reach. Not long after, all robbers were knocked out cold and on the floor, and Eliot opened the bank doors for all of them to come out before heading towards the FBI agent.

"You okay, genius?" they heard him say with unmistakable fondness. "They didn't heart you, did they?"

"Im fine," the agent said. "Been through worse."

"You shouldn't be," Eliot told him, pulling him into a tight hug. "Gave me the creeps there, Spencer. You should be more careful."

"I didn't want to be held hostage," Spencer replied. "It just happened."

"It always just happens to you," Eliot replied with a small laugh, pulling back.

"You got a minute until the Feds are there," Nate said through the earpiece, not taking his eyes off the screen.

"I gotta go," Eliot said.

"Please don't go," Spencer said, reaching out and gripping Eliot's arm. "Don't leave again."

"If I'm still here when your team arrives…" Eliot trailed off.

"I know," Spencer said. "But I just have to do this first."

And with that, he pulled Eliot into a short, yet passionate kiss.

"I honestly didn't see that one coming," Sophie muttered, looking at the scene.

"You and me both, sister," Hardison replied, mouth slightly open with shock.

The footsteps became closer and Eliot pulled back.

"I'll call you," he told the younger man before running out the back and disappearing.

* * *

This was not what Derek Morgan would call a good day.

They were given time off to get some rest after their last case and he was just lying on his couch, doing practically nothing while he was waiting for Reid to come back, when the phone rang. Wonder-boy got himself into a hostage situation.

On their day off.

Then, were little over two hours of fruitless negotiation that led them nowhere, a hacker trying to overrun Garcia's computer and the realization that something was definitely wrong just before the hostages ran out.

 _One, two, three,_ he was counting to himself, making sure they were all safe while looking for the distinctive haircut that belonged to their kid genius. _Thirty one, thirty two… where's Reid?_

That was the point he completely lost it, running into the building gun-first with Hotch and Prentiss only to find Reid standing in the middle of the bank, safe and unharmed as the robbers laid unconscious at his feet.

"Did you…" It seemed like Prentiss didn't even know how to complete this sentence.

"No," Reid said quickly. "There was this guy… he came in, knocked them out and disappeared. I didn't even see his face."

"Did they hurt you?" Hotch asked.

"No," Reid replied again. "I'm fine."

Morgan was walking around the bank, looking at the scene that was displayed in front of him. Whoever it was, they managed to over-hack Garcia, break into a bank surrounded with Federal Agents, succumb four armed men without a single shot fired and then get out without being noticed. Whoever they were, they were good.

Any other day, it would have probably bugged him. He would want to know who they were and why didn't they reveal themselves – he would consider them possible enemies without sparing a thought.

But today, they saved Reid.

He looked up to one of the cameras, through which he knew whoever did it was watching, and mouthed _'Thank you'_ , before turning back to Reid.

After all, they still had half a day off.


	2. The Two-Ex Job

**A/N:** **Didn't plan to upload another one-shot so quickly, but I watched a couple of episodes from season one when "The Two-Horse Job" arrived and I knew I just had to do something with it.**

 **Based loosely on that episode, but with much more Spencer/Spencer scenes in there, rather then Eliot/Aimee.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or Criminal Minds.**

* * *

 **Story 2: The Two-Ex Job**

"Thanks for coming," Aimee said, hugging Spencer tightly. "I hate to bug you on your days off, but after the fire…"

"Don't mention it," Spencer said quickly. "I'm happy to help. And, besides, it's not days off, it's a forced vacation for my team."

"Either way, I'm glad you could come," Aimee told him honestly. "Let's go tell my dad that you're here."

They walked through the house and towards her father's office, exchanging stories of the time since they last met. They talked on the phone every now and then, but it wasn't the same as meeting in person.

"Dad," Aimee said, opening the door but stopping as soon as she saw who was inside.

"You called him?" she asked distastefully.

"We need him," Willie replied.

"Yeah," Aimee said poisonously. "No, we don't."

"I forgot how much I like these southern welcomes," a familiar voice said, and Spencer moved forwards to see Eliot standing in the middle of the room, along with another man he didn't recognize.

"Eight years," Aimee said. "No phone calls, no letters – you don't get a homecoming parade."

"How's your husband, Aimee?" Eliot asked, and though Spencer knew he didn't mean to hit a soft spot, he did.

"Gone," Aimee said. "Seems I have a weakness for men with one foot out the door." She looked at her father. "Spencer's here," she said shortly before turning around and leaving, closing the door behind her before Eliot even turned to look at where Spencer was standing.

"What an ass," she said, leaning on the wall.

"Don't let him get to you," Spencer said. "You're better than him."

"So are you," Aimee told him. "So why does he think that he's better than both of us?"

* * *

"Why do I have to be there, too?" Spencer whined.

"Because I said so," Aimee replied. "There's no way I'm going to be dealing with him alone."

"You don't want to suffer alone, so you're dragging me into it?" he questioned bitterly.

"Exactly," Aimee said. "Now be quiet, they're here."

"Hello," the unfamiliar man Spencer saw earlier – Nate, he heard the others call him – said with a friendly smile. "I don't think we were properly introduced," he told Spencer. "I'm –"

"I know who you are," Spencer replied curtly. "Come. We'll show you around."

"Aimee got us the horses," Eliot told Nate, his eyes burning into Spencer's back. "We need her help to pull this off."

"So all of these are mine?" Nate asked. Marking around at the stable they were in.

"Actually," Spencer started. "Trainers work with a lot of different owners, and only a few of these horses belong to each of them so you'll own less than a tenth of the horses here."

"But the stables belong to the trainers," Aimee added. "Not the owners. So _his_ office would be right down there."

"You can't even say my name now?" Eliot asked.

"No," Spencer and Aimee replied together, each of them sending the other an understanding look.

"And the logos?" Nate questioned, looking around.

"Like she said," Eliot told him. "My stable. These stables are all identical. The only way to tell them apart is by trainer logos, so Hardison faked a couple of them up this morning."

"Why do I have a feeling it's bad I hear this conversation?" Spencer asked bitterly.

"Probably because it is," Aimee replied. "Anything else you need so you can wrap this up and go back to being a somewhat disappointing memory?"

"I thought you said you two were fine with this," Eliot said.

"I thought you said you were coming back in three weeks," Aimee retorted.

"I thought you said you'd call me," Spencer added.

"Oh, boy," Nate said to himself, walking away. "This is perfect."

"You don't know half of what was going on," Eliot said as soon as Nate was out of reach.

"And whose fault is that?" Spencer asked. "Who just walked away without any notice – twice on me, and once on her?"

"The second time was different," Eliot said.

"Oh, really?" Aimee asked. "What was it? You didn't leave any hopes of return the second time? It doesn't sound like your style."

"I don't know, maybe he didn't," Spencer said. "Maybe I misinterpreted 'I'll call you'!"

"Well, maybe I misinterpreted the kiss!" Eliot retorted. "Because usually, it doesn't mean you have a boyfriend!"

And with that, he turned around and walked away.

"So," Aimee said, leaning on Spencer's arm. "How's your vacation so far?"

"Forced vacation," Spencer corrected, deciding it might be a good idea to help with the horses in order to clear his head.

* * *

 _It isn't my fault,_ Spencer thought to himself as he brushed a silver horse named, unsurprisingly, Silverware. _I wasn't the one who didn't call after they promised they would. I wasn't the one who left, time and time again. It isn't my fault, and he should stop acting like it is._

 _Is he wrong, though?_ asked a small voice in the back of his mind. _You did kiss him while you were still dating Derek._

 _He was my friend before he was anything else,_ Spencer replied. _He should have called me to talk – as friends._

 _You made it pretty clear it wasn't just friendship on your mind, back at the bank,_ the voice replied. _Unless, of course, Eliot really did misinterpreted the kiss._

 _He didn't,_ Spencer thought. _The kiss meant just what he thought it meant._

 _That you didn't have a boyfriend?_

 _That I have more than just friendship on my mind._

Suddenly, his cellphone rang, making both him and the horse jump. He answered quickly, not even bothering to look at the caller ID, and patted Silverware.

"One moment," he told whoever it was on the other side of the line. "Calm down, buddy," he told Silverware, walking out of the booth the horse was in. "Everything's good. Hi."

"Hello," Garcia's cheerful voice said, making him jump once more. "Just called to make sure you're not dying of boredom, but I guess it was unnecessary. Who's with you?"

"Silverware," Spencer replied.

"Oh," Garcia said, surprised. "That's an odd name."

"Not for a horse," Spencer told her with a laugh. "I have a friend who works with horses, and her father's stable burned down last week. Since we have time off anyways, I thought I'd come to help."

"I think I read about it somewhere," Garcia said sadly. "Eight horses died, right?"

"Yeah," Spencer confirmed. "And Aimee asked for my help, so…"

"How do you know them?" Garcia asked.

"We used to have a mutual friend," he replied. "Turned into a mutual ex."

"The things that bond people together," Garcia said dramatically. "Sounds kinda like a soap opera to me. a burnt down stable, two friends who have a mutual ex… all that's left is that he would be there as well, and we've got ourselves a story."

"Guess what?" Spencer asked bitterly. "He is here. Aimee's father asked for his help, so he came. Which would have been alright, if not for the fact that he wouldn't leave me alone."

"Oh, honey," Garcia sighed. "He still cares about you."

"No," Spencer replied determinedly. "You don't tell someone you care about that you'll call him and then disappear for weeks, only to meet again by accident because someone burned a stable."

"Weeks?" Garcia asked, starting to connect the pieces in her head. "Reid – did you break up with Derek for this guy?"

"And if I did?" Spencer asked. "What did it give me? Two ex-boyfriends and a broken heart."

"It doesn't have to be _two_ ex-boyfriends," Garcia mused. "It can be one ex-boyfriend and one boyfriend."

"Are you trying to tell me to get back with Derek?" Spencer asked, annoyed.

"Actually, I'm trying to tell you to give another chance for this mystery man," Garcia said. "But, you know, you don't have to listen to me. I'm only the goddess of anything known and unknown, no big deal."

"I'll think about it," Spencer muttered. "In the meanwhile, I think Silverware's getting jealous."

"Okay, okay," Garcia said. "Tell me what you decided, either way."

"I will," Spencer promised. "Thanks."

"No problem, my love-struck G-man," Garcia said swiftly. "And, Reid?"

"Yes?"

"Good luck."

* * *

"Hey."

Spencer looked up from the book he was reading as he sat in the stable's staff room, only to look back down the moment he saw who was standing at the doorway.

"Hey," he said, no emotion to his voice. "How did you know I was here?"

"Aimee told me," Eliot said, sitting down next to him.

"Traitor," Spencer mumbled, causing Eliot to laugh.

"Depends which way you're looking at it," he retorted. "You didn't tell me what you're doing in town," he commented.

"No, I didn't," Spencer agreed, not elaborating.

"Care to tell me what you're doing in town?"

"Willie's stable caught on fire and they needed help," Spencer said. "What do you think I'm doing in town?"

"I don't know," Eliot replied. "There must be a better way to spend your days off."

"Forced vacation," Spencer corrected. "Though I think I'm starting to regret my choice of destination."

"I don't know," Eliot told him. "I'm kinda glad you're here."

"Good for you," Spencer bit out. "Now, can you go? I'm trying to read."

" _1984_ , by George Orwell?" Eliot asked, looking at the cover. "You read that book a million times already. You've got an eidetic memory, Spence, why do you need to reread –"

"Don't call me Spence," Spencer said, standing up. "You lost the right to call me Spence."

"Spencer, then," Eliot said. "Or is it Reid, now? Tell me, so I can keep up with you."

"I don't want you to keep up with me!" Spencer called.

"Fine, then I'll stop trying!" Eliot replied, wondering briefly to himself how the small gesture of trying to talk to his former best friend ended up so badly. "I'll stop trying to talk to you, I'll stop keeping track of you, I'll stop coming to save you when you end up in the middle of a bank robbery –"

"Nobody asked for your help!" Spencer called. "I didn't ask for you to save me after you disappeared for years! But you came, and we kissed, and –"

"And you've got a friggin boyfriend –"

"We broke up!" Spencer called, causing Eliot to stop and look at him. "I broke up with him, because you said you'd call! Because I was stupid enough to let myself believe that you still care! And then it turns out that you don't!"

"Of course I care," Eliot said. "Spencer, I was about to walk straight up to your team, knowing I will most likely get arrested, before Nate called me with an actual plan to save you. I _care_ , alright? It doesn't happen often, and it doesn't happen with just anybody, but it always happens with you."

"You didn't call," Spencer said again, quietly this time.

"You had a boyfriend," Eliot repeated.

"I don't have a boyfriend anymore," Spencer said quietly, taking a step towards him.

"It would be pretty pointless to call now," Eliot told him, leaning in to close the gap.

 _"Eliot,"_ Nate's voice came through the com. _"We sort of need you here."_

"Can it wait?" Eliot asked.

 _"Not really."_

Eliot sighed, leaning back from Spencer again. "This isn't over," he warned.

"It better not be," Spencer threatened with half a smile. "Now go do… whatever it is that you do."

"I'll be back," Eliot promised, running out the door.

Spencer sat back down, looking at his book. If only he believed that promise.

* * *

"We gave Willie Baltimore," Eliot said as the two of them were walking. "And a generous donation I probably shouldn't mention the origins of, seeing as you're an FBI agent."

"So you're done," Spencer stated. "And now you're leaving."

"Unless you got a room somewhere you want to take me to," Eliot commented.

"And you'll leave in the morning."

"I will," Eliot said honestly. "But next time doesn't have to be like that."

"Next time?" Spencer asked.

"I'm just saying," Eliot shrugged. "You travel a lot for your job, I travel a lot for mine. There ought to be times we end up in the same city – and even if there aren't, there are still days off and forced vacations."

"You want to have a long-distance relationship?" Spencer questioned in disbelief. "Between a federal agent and a criminal?"

"Pretty much," Eliot replied. "If you want me – if you take me, I'm all in. No disappearing, no running away."

"No avoiding phone calls?" Spencer asked.

"Give me your phone," Eliot said in reply. He typed into it for a minute or so before returning it. "I put my phone number in there, just to be safe," he said. "And Nate's phone number. And Sophie's, and Hardison's, and even Parker's. If I don't call you, you call me. And if I don't answer, you call them. And Sophie will never give me a spare moment until I call you back."

"You're really serious about this," Spencer said.

"I am," Eliot replied.

"And you really want this?" the younger man questioned.

"I do," the hitter said without hesitation.

"Fine," Spencer said, leaning closer and allowing Eliot to kiss him. "You're not coming to my room tonight," he murmured against the other man's lips.

"What?" Eliot asked. "Why?"

"Do you really think I'm that easy?" Spencer questioned. "First you buy me dinner and then we'll talk. And besides," he added as his phone began to rang. "My vacation's over." He spoke briefly on the phone, telling JJ he would come straight to the scene before hanging up and looking at Eliot.

"I guess you're the one leaving this time," Eliot said with half a smile.

"It is my turn," Spencer shrugged. "My next case is in Nashville, by the way," he added as an afterthought. "You know, in case you have a case there. Or a time off. Or a forced vacation."

"Call me when you're done with the case and I'll invite you to dinner," Eliot told him with a smile. "Are you leaving right now?"

"Yes."

"Do I get a goodbye kiss?"

"No."

"What?" he asked, confusion written all over his face.

"I thought I made the rules pretty clear," Spencer said as he walked towards his car. "Looking forwards to that dinner."


	3. Your Treat

**A/N:** **This story is in two parts. No need to worry as I already have part 2 written, and I will upload it either tomorrow or on Saturday. Enjoy :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or Criminal Minds.**

* * *

 **Stort 3, Part 1:** **Your Treat**

The case was over. They caught the killer and were just back to their respective rooms at the hotel. Their flight back to Virginia wasn't until morning, and they were all feeling better after catching the guy who murdered seven men during a period of three weeks, but Spencer wasn't calm.

It wasn't the case that put him on edge. It wasn't the fact that they nearly didn't save the eighth guy the Unsub abducted – they saved him, and all was well. It wasn't even the fact that he had an upcoming date with Eliot in less than an hour, and he had no idea what to wear.

It was Rossi's stare on his back.

"Do you mind?" he asked the older profiler as he, once again, rushed to the restroom in their shared hotel room to get changed.

"Not at all," Rossi muttered, looking at his back as he walked into the bathroom, and seemingly staring at the door while Spencer was inside seeing as, when the younger man walked out, he was still staring at him.

"What?" Spencer asked, looking down at what he was wearing. "Is it too weird? It looks too weird, doesn't it?"

"Where are you going?" Rossi questioned.

"To meet with a friend," Spencer replied noncommittally. "Just… meeting with an old friend."

"An old friend that caused you to change your outfit five times in the past twenty minutes?" Rossi asked, amused.

"A good friend," Spencer said. "I'm meeting with a good friend for dinner. Well, late dinner."

"Sure," Rossi said. " _A friend._ "

"What?" Spencer asked, confused.

"Nothing," Rossi replied. "It's just that I never saw you this stressed before – and I've seen you at gunpoint on more than one occasion."

"Well, I know what to say when I'm at gunpoint," Spencer muttered. "I can't really profile my way out of this, can I? Does this looks weird?"

"It doesn't look weird," Rossi promised. "I'm sure that, whoever this friend is, she would love it."

"He," Spencer corrected. "He needs to like it."

"Oh," Rossi said, clearly surprised. "Well… Then I'm sure _he_ would love it."

"I hope he would," Spencer muttered, looking at his watch. "I need to go now or I'll be late."

"Good luck, kid," Rossi said. "I won't wait up."

Blush started rising up Spencer's cheeks as he quickly left the room, heading out the hotel and towards the restaurant. It was only two blocks away, so he thought it pointless to take a car – especially one of the ridiculous black SUVs the team always used.

His badge and gun were in the room, as there was no point to bring them with him for a date, especially since Eliot never liked guns. He just turned the second turn to the right, and he saw the restaurant out of the corner of his eye when the man who hid in the alley jumped on him.

That was the last thing he saw before darkness succumbed him.

* * *

"What have you got?" Rossi asked Hotch as he reached the scene where another man was taken, the MO used similar to the other abductions – the ones that brought the BAU to town.

"I got an eye witness – a woman who lives in a nearby building," Hotch said. "She said she saw a man dressed in black attacking someone who passed the alley and pushed them into an SUV."

"We never did find the SUV the Unsub used for the abductions," Rossi mused. "So, we're thinking partner?"

"Seems like it," Hotch said. "Charles Jacobs was the dominant one, who actually kills – he's the one we caught earlier today – and the other one was in charge of the abductions."

"So our Unsub sees Jacobs was arrested, and abducts someone to throw us off his trail," Rossi said in understanding. "Jacobs has an alibi – he's under police custody – so he gets free, and the police turns their attention to the second Unsub."

"Not if we have a say about it," Hotch said. "We don't know what the Unsub's going to do now that he doesn't have Jacobs with him, and we only got limited time to solve this before Jacobs' lawyer finds out about this."

"So how quickly do we need to solve this?" Rossi asked.

"As fast as possible," Hotch replied grimly. "I called the rest of the team, but Reid doesn't answer his phone. Do you happen to know where is he?"

"He had a date last night," Rossi said. "Didn't come back to our room, so I just expected it went well."

"I'll keep calling him," Hotch said, pulling out his phone and stepping aside just in time for Rossi to see a man waving at him.

"Hey! The man called. "Are you with the Feds?"

"I'm FBI, yes," Rossi said. "And you are?"

"Andre Barnes," the man said. "The friends call me Barney."

"It's nice to meet you, Barney," Rossi politely replied. "Do you have any information about the investigation we are running?"

"I think I just might," Barney said. "Ya see, I own the restaurant over there." He marked at a small place, a couple of houses away. "And my friend, he was stood up on a date last night. I know it might be just rough luck, but with the killings these past couple of weeks, and you guys so close here… Thought I might give it a shot."

"Okay," Rossi said. "What's your friend's name?"

"Rather not say," Barney told him. "He's got that thing with his privacy. There was one time, when –"

"Do you happen to have the name of the person he was supposed to go on a date with?" Rossi asked, not wanting to hear what seemed to be a long story that would get them no closer to finding the Unsub.

"Think so," Barney said. "It was this doctor, with a weird name… Raid, I think."

Rossi paused, looking at Barney with shock. "Dr. Reid?" he asked carefully.

"Yeah!" Barney said. "That's the guy who stood my friend up. How'd you know?"

"Lucky guess," Rossi dismissed. "Thank you for your help." He turned around to look for any of the other team members, seeing Hotch not far away, before turning back to Barney. "Could you –" he started, only to find out the man was gone. "Dammit."

"Dave," Hotch said, coming closer to him. "Reid still doesn't pick up, but I saw you talked to someone. Any luck?"

"I wouldn't call it luck," Rossi muttered. "In fact, I'd say the kid got the worst luck in the world."

"What kid?" Hotch asked, confused.

"Reid," Rossi replied. "I think I know why he didn't pick up his phone."

* * *

"Hey, Spence, it's me. Just letting you know that I've got everything ready for tonight at Barney's place. Ten thirty. Don't be late."

"Just called to see where you are. It's quarter to eleven already. Did something happen?"

"It's Eliot again. You're an hour late. Call me."

"I understand you're not coming tonight. Guess we'll have to reschedule again, eh? Call me when you hear this."

"I think I understand the hint. Nate just called me about a case back in Boston. I'm leaving."

"I kinda hoped at least the last message would get you to call me. I understand not. Don't worry, I wouldn't call you again. Bye, Spence."

"Reid, we've got a case, call me as soon as you hear this."

"Reid, we really need you here. Pick up already."

"Hello, my loveable G-boy. I understand your date last night went well, but there's a new development in the Jacobs case. We need you at the scene."

"Reid, it's Hotch again. Dave just told me about your date, and I really hope you're not just ignoring our calls, since even if there was no development, you should have been on the plane by now. Call us."

* * *

Spencer didn't know where he was when he woke up. He managed to comprehend the fact that he was tied to a chair, and that his head was hurting, but not much more.

It was dark, where he was. Very dark. Even as his eyes struggled to see something that was further than five inches away from him, he failed. It probably didn't help that he didn't have his contacts on, since he decided to wear his now-missing glasses to the date with Eliot.

 _Eliot._ How long had he been here already? Eliot must think that he bailed on their date! He needed to get out of here, he needed to tell him –

Spencer paused as the small movement of trying to get out of the bonds that tied him sent waves of pain to his brain. What happened?

He remembered talking to Rossi in their room, back at the hotel. He remembered walking towards the restaurant where he knew Eliot was waiting to him. And then… Then, something hard hit his head, and the next thing he knew, he was here.

 _No,_ he thought to himself. _Please, tell me I wasn't abducted – again._

Only he must have been. Because out of all the different scenarios his brain managed to think of – which, admittedly, weren't as many as he was used to but still were quite a few – the only thing that would end up with him where he was, was that he was abducted.

He sat in the darkness bound to the chair for god knows how long, before a door opened and he closed his eyes, blinded by the light that came through. The door closed and he blinked a couple of times, trying to get what little of his eyesight he had while in the room back when somebody spoke.

"Dr. Reid," a man's voice said. "I've been waiting for you to wake up."

Spencer kept quiet, deciding to try to comprehend who had taken him before doing anything else.

"It's very interesting," the man said. "I've never taken an FBI agent before – it was easier than I thought it would be."

 _Never taken one before,_ Spencer repeated to himself. _So he had taken other people. He's got experience, and targeted me. A serial abductor? Serial killer?_

"Then again," the man went on, oblivious to the way the thoughts swirled through his captive's mind. "You're not really a _man_ , are you?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Spencer asked before he could stop himself.

"As if you don't know," his abductor said. " _Real_ men aren't as lanky as you are, spending all of their time with their head inside a book. _Real_ men are muscled and fit – making use of all of the natural advantages nature had given them. But there's nothing natural about you, is there? Because _real_ men aren't attracted to other men."

 _Oh._ Spencer's eyes widened in surprise and slight fear. _That was definitely going to be a problem._

* * *

"I have scouted every database in my reach – and several that aren't – and I don't know how this had happened but I have got nothing."

Garcia's desperation was clear in her voice, mirroring what all of the other team members felt.

"There's got to be something," Morgan said. "Any sort of connection between the victims and Reid."

"There isn't," Garcia sighed. "There isn't even a connection between the victims without Reid. Different ages, races, jobs… the only thing in common is that they were all male."

"There are plenty of men in this town," Rossi said. "He's got to be targeting them somehow."

"What were they doing before they were taken?" Hotch asked.

"They were…. Oh." Five heads popped up at the surprise in her voice.

"Did you find something?" Prentiss asked.

"I think I just might have," Garcia said. "It's very vague, but I think it might be it. Our first victim – George O'Connell – set up a restraining order for his ex-boyfriend a week before he was taken."

"We know that," JJ said. "He was the prime suspect before we arrived."

"But that's not all," Garcia told her. "Victims number two, four and five were on their way back from dates, number two and eight had just finished a long-term relationship and six and seven declared intention to marry their partners in life once it was legal."

"Wait," Morgan said, confused. "Are you saying –"

"That the one thing all of our victims had in common was the fact that they were attracted to other men?" Garcia questioned. "Sadly, I am."

"So why did they target Reid?" Prentiss asked. "He wasn't gay… was he?"

"I thought he was on his way to a date," JJ said.

"He was," Rossi replied. "A date with another man."

"He…" JJ looked between Morgan and Hotch. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Reid and I dated for a while," Morgan said, ignoring the way Prentiss' eyes widened even further. "Once we decided to do this, we had to notify Hotch, as our Unit Chief."

"This isn't the time for this conversation," Hotch said sternly. "And, even if it was, Reid have the right to be here when it happens. Dave, I want you and Prentiss to go question the Barney guy you spoke to earlier today. Morgan, you and Prentiss will stay here to question the victims' families and I'll talk to Charles Jacobs." He looked between all of them and sighed. "We know the men were abused premortal, so let's get this case closed as soon as we can and save Reid from the same fate."

* * *

"I know we need to gather more information about the case, but I feel useless coming here," Prentiss told Rossi as they parked the SUV and walked towards Barney's restaurant. "I feel like we should be talking to Jacobs."

"Hotch is talking to him," Rossi replied. "But we also need to know what happened last night when Reid was taken."

"I know," she sighed. "It still bugs me."

Rossi nodded sympathetically, reaching out a hand to knock on the door. Less than a minute later, a woman appeared, looking at them suspiciously.

"What d'you want?" she asked.

"I am Agent Rossi and this is Agent Prentiss from the FBI," Rossi introduced them. "Mind to answer a couple of questions?"

"I didn't do anything wrong," the woman grumbled. "I run a legit business here, Agent. Pay my taxes and all."

"Your business?" Prentiss asked, confused. "I thought the owner was Andre Barnes."

"It's actually Andrea," the woman corrected, eyeing Prentiss for a moment before adding, "But you can call me Barney."


	4. One and Only

**A/N:** **I know I said I'd upload yeaterday, but I spent the entire weekend at my friend's house AKA away from my computer...**

 **Here's the chapter, tell me how you like it! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or Criminal Minds.**

* * *

"Andrea Barnes?" Rossi repeated. "You're Andrea Barnes?"

"The one and only," Andrea smiled.

"Apparently not," Rossi muttered. "Do you mind if we came in?"

"I already told you, I did nothing wrong," Andrea said. "I run a legal business, pay my taxes and just trying to end the month. Those murders lately aren't good for business, you know."

"But you closed early yesterday," Prentiss noted.

"Is that illegal?"

"No," she quickly replied. "But, still… makes one wonder."

Andrea looked at the two of them. "I've done nothing illegal," she repeated.

"We know," Rossi said.

"So come in already before anybody sees the Feds on my door," she muttered, hurrying them inside. "We don't open for a couple of hours, so there's no rush for now but I'll need to start prepping the kitchen soon."

"Do you have employees?" Prentiss asked.

"A few," Andrea said. "Two sous-chefs and three waitresses, but usually there are only two other than me in a shift."

"What brought you to opening a restaurant?" Rossi asked.

"I…" Andrea hesitated for a moment before replying. "I'm not from here. Originally, I'm from Belgium, but I got into business with some bad folks over there. I got into some serious debts and had to start working at a restaurant they owned. Apparently, my paychecks involved money laundering."

"They used you," Prentiss said.

"And I didn't see half a Euro out of it," Andrea said bitterly. "Ended up with three years in jail and after I got out… who'd want to hire a criminal? I did some digging and found out that I was born in Illinois, moved here, fixed my accent and started scouting for jobs again. After a year or so, I bumped into an old friend who gave me money – clean, legal money – to start my own place."

"Is he the same person who was here last night?"

"How do you know I had somebody here last night?" Andrea questioned.

"Why else would you close early?" Rossi asked.

"Yeah, he was here last night," Andrea said. "I managed to save up enough to give him back the money he loaned me but he told me to keep it, and less than a month later he called to ask if he could have the place for a couple of hours. Of course I was gonna say 'yes'."

"Could you tell us this friend's name?" Prentiss asked.

"Not unless you tell me why you need it," Andrea said.

"He was supposed to have a date last night with Dr. Spencer Reid," Rossi said. "But Doctor Reid never showed up, did he?"

"So he got stood up," Andrea said. "Happens to everyone."

"Except that a man who introduced himself as Andre Barnes made sure to tell us Reid didn't show up," Rossi told her. "And as I know for sure that Reid had full intentions to arrive on time and well dressed, we were led to believe that he was taken by the same person who had murdered all of the other men lately."

"How do you know all of that?" Andrea asked, fear creeping into her voice. "How can you know Spencer intended to show up last night?"

"Because Dr. Spencer Reid is an FBI Agent in our unit," Prentiss said. "And we believe that the person who pretended to be you was the one who took him – and that he wanted us to know it."

"This is…" Andrea stood up, pacing back and forth nervously. "This is twisted. I… I gotta…"

"We're not asking you to do anything," Rossi said soothingly. "I'll describe to you the man I spoke with, and you'll see if you know who he is. He knows you well enough to know that your friends call you Barney, so you're more than simply acquainted. And…" He hesitated for a moment before adding, "You should probably call your friend."

"I will," Andrea said weakly as Prentiss headed outside to tell the team about the new involvement and Rossi went to the kitchen to fetch some water.

* * *

Eliot Spencer was in a secluded warehouse registered under one of his aliases, taking out all of his anger over the events of last night on the punching bag that was hung from the ceiling.

He really thought Spencer forgave him. He really thought he was given another chance. What an idiot he was.

He arrived to Nashville almost immediately after Spencer did, only taking a day to gather his things and inform Nate of his plans before heading out. Barney knew what he was in town for, and agreed to close her restaurant early for the two of them as soon as Spencer let him know what was going on.

He spent hours at the kitchen, slowly making the perfect meal for the two of them, only to have Spencer bail on him. It didn't seem like something Spencer would do, but Eliot supposed he did enough to earn it over the years.

It still sucked.

"Barney, I'm really not in the mood for another pity-talk," Eliot said as he answered the phone call that disturbed his practice.

"Good," Andrea's voice came through. "Because this isn't one."

"Why am I on speaker?" he asked. "And who else can hear me?"

"He knew he was on speaker just from the change in your voice?" the unknown person asked.

"It's a very distinctive change in her voice," Eliot muttered. "Who is it?"

"This is SSA David Rossi from the Behavioral Analysis Unit," the man said.

"BAU, eh?" Eliot asked. "What, Spencer is so busy that he can't come to the phone himself so he sent you?"

"Actually, Agent Reid was kidnapped."

Eliot paused, fear creeping onto him. "What?" he asked. "When?"

"Last night," Andrea replied, and her voice made it clear that she knew what he was thinking. "Don't beat yourself up over it, you couldn't know."

"Where are you at the moment?" Rossi asked.

"Home." That was, if you could call the abandoned warehouse he went to whenever he needed to clear his thoughts 'home'.

"And where is home?"

"A couple of states away," Eliot replied. "Have you got any leads?"

"We suspect that it's the same guy who kidnapped the other men around here," Rossi told him.

"Didn't you catch him?" Eliot asked, unable to keep the accusing tone out of his voice.

"We did, but we didn't catch his partner."

"Okay," Eliot said, still annoyed but somewhat understanding. "Why'd you call me?"

"They've got a description of the guy, but I suck with faces," Andrea said.

"It's a man in his early thirties, short brown hair, around 6'2"," Rossi said. "Does it ring a bell?"

"Actually, it does," Eliot said, surprised. "Barney, remember yesterday morning when we went to buy groceries and there was this guy? The one who said that he's sure that one night with him will 'cure' you?"

"Creepy Steve?" Andrea asked. "He's a bit weird, but he's harmless."

"Apparently not," Rossi muttered. "Thank you for your help, Mr.…?"

"You're welcome," Eliot replied, knowing it wasn't wise to tell a federal agent his name. Not only would it be bad for him, but it would get Andrea and Spencer in trouble, as well.

He hung the phone before Rossi could say anything further, and threw it aside as he looked back at the punching bag, kicking it so hard it flew off his hinges.

 _Dammit, Spence,_ he thought to himself. _Couldn't anything ever be simple with you?_

* * *

It felt like he was there for years. Logically, he knew that couldn't be true as he wasn't fed since he was taken and even though his stomach clenched with hunger, it still couldn't be more than a couple of hours, a day at most.

But in the dark room, tied to a chair as he was beaten up until he was close to unconsciousness only for his tormentor to take a break and give him time to recover, it still felt like years.

It didn't take him long to understand that whoever was holding him was working with Jacobs, and that he was the one who took the other victims. That didn't help him, though, as all of the victims were found dead forty eight hours after they were taken, and they have been dead for a couple of hours when found.

If he wasn't mistaken with his calculation of times – and in his current state, it was very likely that he _was_ mistaken – he only had a couple of hours left for the team to find him.

That was, _if_ the team found him. If the team even noticed he was missing. After all, they could just assume his date simply went on well enough for him not to return back to the hotel. They'd surely notice him missing when he didn't show up for the flight, right? He hoped they would.

Thoughts about the date brought him back to thinking about Eliot. When he got out of this place (He refused to say "If", not wanting to let what his tormentor said get to him) he was going to find him and tell him just how much he mattered to him. He started regretting not staying longer at the stable.

The door opened again, and the dark figure came in once more. Spencer closed his eyes, both against the blinding light and in order to prepare himself for what was coming.

The first punch was aimed at his abdomen, immediately knocking the air out of his lungs. The second one hit his already bruised face, and the third had broken a rib that had been previously cracked.

It went on like that for a while, just like the previous times. The first time, Spencer managed to remain calm and collected, but he soon broke and started weeping, begging the man to stop.

He never did.

Suddenly, the man stopped. For a moment, Spencer thought he might have actually listened to his begging, or that he decided to kill him and end with it, and then he heard it. Footsteps.

There were muffled talking, and the man might have understood what was being said but Spencer was in no state to comprehend anything other than the figure in front of him, which suddenly wasn't there anymore and instead put something cold against his throat.

The door opened wide and whoever came in opened the light, causing Spencer to be blinded. He shut down his eyes, not wanting to see the looks on their faces once they saw the state he was in as well as unable to keep them open.

"Steven Johnson!" Morgan's voice called out. "FBI!"

"Put the knife down, Johnson," Rossi's voice ordered, and suddenly the cold feeling against Spencer's throat made sense. "Nothing you do will make a difference any longer."

"I can rid the world of one more of _them_ ," the man – Johnson – said.

"And then I'll shoot you to make it even," Morgan said. "Put the knife down."

"Fine," Johnson said. "Hopefully, he'll die anyway. Just like he deserve."

The knife was away from Spencer's neck, falling to the floor and Spencer could hear Morgan reading Johnson his rights as Rossi came closer to him and untied him.

"We need a medic!" he called out, before turning back at Spencer, who managed to open his eyes a crack by then. "How bad is it?"

"Eli," Spencer muttered, the action making his chest throb. "I need… I need Eli…"

"I'll tell Barney to call him, but right now I need to know how bad is it, Reid," Rossi said. "Reid?"

"Cracked… rib…" Spencer somehow managed out. "Probably internal damage… in the abdomen… Everything hurts…"

"It's okay," Rossi told him, pushing Spencer's sweat-soaked hair to behind his ear so he could look at his face properly. "We're here now."

"Eli…" Spencer muttered. "Call Eli…"

Rossi's head turning around to call for a medic again was the last thing he saw before darkness consumed him.

* * *

Eliot was slowly losing it. It had been a month since Spencer missed their date, and other than a couple of text messages from Barney, he didn't get any update on the young agent's status.

The first text, only a couple of hours after the initial phone call, was short: _They got him_. As he requested, she kept him up to date with other short messages. _He's in surgery because of internal bleeding. He's out of the danger zone. He's up._

Three days ago came the message he was waiting most for, and yet Eliot couldn't bring himself to act accordingly. _He's dismissed._

After that, Eliot threw himself into a frenzy of jobs and training, not allowing himself a second more than his usual ninety minutes of sleep per day, and exhausting himself to the point where he would be too tired to think before he went to sleep.

He could see the odd looks Nate, Sophie, Parker and Hardison gave him, but he didn't care. They didn't understand how he felt. They didn't understand the guilt he felt after being mad at Spencer for hours, only to find out he nearly died.

He didn't even know how he would have felt if Spencer had died.

As they started working the David Job, Eliot started, for the first time since he could remember, worry about what would happen if he didn't get the chance to tell Spencer what he truly feels about him. The job went sideways, his pictures and aliases were sent to every law enforcement agency out there and Eliot at least thanked whatever made him think telling Agent Rossi his name was a bad idea.

The Leverage team parted ways. Eliot went back to the warehouse to care for his cracked ribs and his concussion. He didn't even think to check if there was anybody in there, as a very small number of people even knew about the existence of this place.

He surely didn't expect the person that was in the warehouse to slap him before he had a chance to comprehend the fact that he wasn't alone, and he certainly didn't expect that person to pull him into a hug immediately following said slap.

"I come to see you after spending a month in a hospital without any contact from you or a way to know you were still alive, let alone _cared_ , and I have to see your Headquarters exploding?" Spencer asked. "Do you have _any_ idea how worried I was?"

Instead of a reply, Eliot leaned back just enough to capture Spencer's lips with his own.


	5. Valentine's Case

**A/N:** **Because I didn't post here in forever and it's Valentine's Day. Hope to get the next chapter up in the next week, but it's currently the middle of exam period so I can't promise anything...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage or Criminal Minds.**

* * *

The sounds of what was undoubtedly a fight travelled into the bullpen area, making Derek Morgan and Emily Prentiss exchange worried glances.

"I know… yes, I know! I have an eidetic memory, Eli, I didn't exactly forget, did I? I was called in for a case! What do you want me to do, hand the phone over to Hotch and prove it to you? I don't – don't start – it's not my fault serial killers don't take a break on Valentine's Day!"

They watched as Spencer all but stormed into view, an angry look present on his tired face.

"I gotta go," he told the person on the other side of the line. "No, Eli, I'm not – you know what? Never mind. Bye."

"Trouble in paradise?" Derek asked playfully as Spencer walked past them and towards the conference room.

"What paradise?" he bit out, not even bothering to turn his glare at their direction.

"Ouch," Prentiss muttered, wincing slightly. "Somebody woke up on the wrong side of bed today."

"More like the wrong bed, if that fight was anything to go by," Morgan replied, and the two followed the young genius.

"Ashley Meadow went out with friends last Sunday," JJ said, showing them pictures on the screen. "She didn't return to her apartment, and her roommate reported her missing the next day. On Monday, Janet Andrews was walking out her dog when she disappeared. Their bodies were found by Boston PD that Friday. This Sunday, Regina Tennant didn't come home from a blind date and yesterday, Dani Carol was supposed to pick up her niece from daycare, but she never showed."

"One woman taken from a night out on a Sunday and the other on Monday while caring for someone else," Morgan noted.

"And all four women are in their late twenties with brown," Rossi added. "There's a clear type here."

"Which is why we were called in," Hotch nodded.

"But Ashley Meadow was killed with a knife," Spencer said, looking through the pictures. "She was stabbed six times, that's pretty specific – Janet Andrews was shot."

"Could we be talking about two Unsubs?" Prentiss asked. "The MO is so different…"

"The bodies were found together, and were killed hours apart at most," Hotch said. "We might be talking about a team, but we can't deny that the cases are connected." He glanced at his watch before adding, "I'll tell Boston PD we're on our away. Wheels up in thirty."

Almost as soon as the words left Hotch's mouth, Spencer stood up and put his messenger bag over his shoulder.

"Reid!" Morgan called out. "Reid, wait a minute. What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Spencer said shortly. "Not at all and definitely not with you."

He turned around and walked out as angrily as he walked in, leaving Morgan staring after him with shock.

"What happened to him?" Rossi asked, confused.

"Eli and him are going through a rough time," Garcia explained with a sigh. "They hadn't seen each other since Christmas, and last week Eli found out that Reid and Morgan are sharing a room nearly every time we're on a case and threw a jealousy fit."

"If it's a problem…" Morgan started, but Garcia quickly cut him off.

"They're over it," she said. "But Reid was supposed to visit Eli for Valentine's, and now they had to cancel because of the case…"

"It happens," Prentiss said. "Long distance relationship have their difficulties."

"But Spence is always the one to cancel," Garcia told her. "And he hates it, but it's not like he has a choice."

"How come you're the only one who knows this stud?" Rossi asked, making her smile sweetly.

"Haven't you learned, sweet cheeks?" she asked. "I know _everything_."

* * *

 _Of course it had to be Boston,_ Spencer thought angrily as he opened his umbrella in the hopes he could make the short distance between the car and the police station before he was completely drenched. _Of course it had to be friggin, rainy Boston._

It couldn't have been Seattle, or LA, or anywhere that didn't have Eliot in it, could it? The case just _had_ to be in the one city in all 50 states that he both desperately wished to be in and couldn't bear thinking about.

He walked into the station, shaking his head and watching as water fell from his hair to his surroundings. As if he didn't feel enough like a wet dog as it was. He was soon followed by JJ, and the two of them walked inside. Morgan and Rossi went to the crime scene where the bodies were found and Hotch paired with Prentiss to go to the morgue, leaving JJ to meet with the victims' families and Spencer to start working on the geographical profile.

He needed to work. Work would help him clear his head, and he needed to focus if they wanted to save Dani Carol and Regina Tennant.

"Lieutenant Bonanno."

At the sound of the familiar name coming out of JJ's mouth, Spencer's head shot up. Sure enough, just a few feet ahead of him stood Patrick Bonanno, a police officer who had encountered the Leverage team more than a few times – and not all of them by accident.

"SSA Jareau," Bonanno greeted. "I'm glad you could arrive on such short notice."

"It's what we do," JJ replied. "And, please, call me JJ. Everybody does. The rest of the team are at the crime scene and the morgue, but this is Dr. Reid, he's going to start working on the –"

"Spencer?" Bonanno asked in surprise.

"Er…" Well, the cat was already out of the bag. No use in pushing the inevitable further away. "Hi, Pat."

"You two know each other?" JJ asked, very much surprised and even more curious. Bonanno raised his brow.

"Yeah," Spencer replied. "We… Eli's friend arranges poker nights every once in a while. Pat and I met there a couple times."

"Didn't tell me he was with the BAU, though," Bonanno said, and behind a well-practiced smile Spencer could see distrust, confusion and slight anger. "Never mind that, is there anything you would need?"

"I'll need a room and a board so I could create the geographical profile of the Unsub," Spencer said. "If you have maps of the area, that would be helpful, but I can get that on my own if I need to. And I'll probably need access to your coffee machine."

"Be my guest," Bonanno told him, before turning back to JJ. "I'll go find him a room, victims' families are in conference rooms three to six."

"Thank you," JJ told him as she started walking away – though not before sending Spencer a look that meant without the shadow of a doubt that they _will_ discuss it later.

"I'll go get you those maps," Bonanno said with a very similar look before calling out for one of the other officers. "Thompson! Show Dr. Reid here to the meeting room. He needs the board there."

"Yes, sir," Thompson replied, showing Spencer the way to the room.

As soon as Spencer walked in, he started writing the information he needed on the board, vaguely remembering to thank Thompson before the officer left.

He had just finished arranging the information in his head and on the board, and decided to wait a little longer before he grabbed a cup of coffee, when Bonanno walked into the room carrying the maps.

"Thanks," he said. "Just in time." He pinned the maps to the board and pulled out a red sharpie, only to notice the Lieutenant was still in the room. "Do you need anything?"

"Well," Bonanno said slowly, "An explanation would be nice."

"Explanation?" Spencer asked, not looking away from the board.

"About how an FBI agent got to dating a guy like Eliot Spencer."

"We went to high school together," Spencer said. "We were together when I was about eighteen, before he left to do... things I'd rather not think about. Got back in contact a year and a half ago, not long after he started working with Nate and the team."

"Does he know?" Bonanno asked.

"Of course he knows," Spencer replied. "Don't be ridiculous, you can't exactly lie about these things in a relationship."

"Does your team knew?"

At that, Spencer paused. "They know I have a boyfriend named Eli," he said. "Nothing more. And I'd like to keep it that way, thank you very much."

"Why?"

"For the same reasons you don't go around telling your bosses you're having poker nights with some of the most wanted people on Earth," Spencer bit out, still avoiding Bonanno's eyes. "And some more. Eliot has more enemies than either of us wants to admit. If people found out that he's seeing someone…" he trailed off, but there was no reason to finish the sentence.

Both men knew that some of Eliot's enemies wouldn't care Spencer was an FBI agent. They'd hunt him down and kill him without thinking about what would happen if they'd get caught – because they wouldn't get caught.

They'd gladly kill Spencer to send a message.

"If the FBI found out… Spence, they'd make an example out of you. An agent – a BAU agent – dating a wanted criminal..."

For the first time, Spencer looked up at Bonanno. "We don't talk about work," he said. "Not ever. It was one of the ground rules we set up. Nobody can accuse me of sharing classified information or withholding information about their cases. We made sure of that. Most of the times, we don't even know which city the other one's in."

"Does he know now?" Bonanno asked, making Spencer look away from him once more. "Spencer, does he know you're in Boston."

"No, he doesn't," Spencer said simply. "And you're not gonna be the one to tell him."

"Spencer –"

"Don't," Spencer said sharply. "Just… do me a favor, Pat, and stay out of my love life."

Bonanno opened his mouth to reply, only to be stopped before he could say anything by JJ opening the office door."

"Hotch and Prentiss are on the way back from the morgue," she said. "They didn't find anything, we're hoping Morgan and Rossi had more luck." She paused, finally noticing Bonanno was also in the room. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

"Not at all," Spencer replied and Bonanno couldn't help but be impressed at how good the younger man was at lying. "Just catching up. It can wait."

"Yeah," Bonanno nodded, forcing the tension out of his voice and features. "We'll just… continue later."

He didn't miss the glare Spencer sent his way when JJ wasn't looking, nor did he care much as he walked out of the room, leaving the two agents alone.

* * *

Hours later, the team weren't any closer to solving three case than they were when they started. They all knew the clock was ticking for Regina Tennant and Dani Carol, but after both Morgan and JJ nearly fell asleep on the table and Spencer experienced his fourth caffeine drop for the day, Hotch decided they should call it a night.

"We're not getting any work done sitting here half dead," he said. "We'll go back to the hotel, have a good night's sleep and start again tomorrow."

Thirty minutes later found Spencer unpacking his go-bag in the room he shared with Hotch, avoiding his team captain's eyes just as he ignored Bonanno's earlier that day.

It was clear that the other man knew something was wrong. In fact, it was more than likely that all of Spencer's coworkers knew something was wrong – it was one of the risks of working with profilers. But nobody commented about it until now, not even JJ who knew about Bonanno's connection to Eliot.

It seemed, though, if to go by the looks Hotch was sending his way, that Spencer ran out of his luck.

"So," the older agent started, "How are things between Eli and you?"

"You know," Spencer replied, leaning back on his bed, "If everyone could just stay away from my love life, that would be great."

"That bad?" Spencer didn't even reply. "JJ told me you knew Lieutenant Bonanno."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Reid…" Hotch sighed. "Does Eli live in Boston?"

"Take a guess," Spencer muttered.

"Does he know you're in town?" Hotch inquired.

"What do you think?" Spencer snapped, turning away. "I'd like to go to sleep now, if you don't mind."

Hotch was silent for a moment. "I think you should tell him," he finally said, making Spencer raise his head and stare at him in disbelief. "You asked me what I think," Hotch shrugged. "Take it from someone who's made every possible mistake trying to balance this job with a relationship. When you have a chance to spend time with your partner, you don't throw it away. Besides, I think I speak for the entire team when I say we'd love to meet him. Good night, Reid," he added with a tired smile, turning the light off.

"Good night," Spencer replied, but he stayed in bed long after Hotch was asleep.

He could never have this – whatever it was that Hotch was imagining when he talked about Spencer and Eli. Just the thought of Eliot meeting his team was terrifying, as he was almost certain at least one of his team members would recognize him as the kill-for-hire he spent so long being.

And he couldn't tell Eliot he was in town because… well, because of what was happening between them lately. Even if he wasn't completely sure what was happening between them lately, only that it caused them to fight almost constantly.

Still, as he finally started to drift off, it were Bonanno's words that rang through his head.

 _"If the FBI found out… Spence, they'd make an example out of you. An agent – a BAU agent – dating a wanted criminal…"_

He made a mental note to talk to Hardison.


	6. Valentine's Date

The next morning, the team met up with newly found energies, set out to investigate even the smallest of leads and the furthest of connections between the victims.

Three hours later, they were no closer than they were when they began, and Spencer felt like he was going mad.

The victims came from completely different parts of the city, different economic backgrounds, different hobbies, different everything. The only thing that seemed to be connecting them was that they were all kidnapped by the same team of Unsubs - for if there was just one thing the team managed to determine in the past day, it was that they were dealing with two Unsubs.

Not that it helped. Nothing helped anymore. The clock was ticking and Spencer knew he wasn't the only one too glance at Ashley Meadow's picture every once in a while and see the colorful bruises that littered her lifeless form.

Rubbing his eyes, he slowly stood up.

"Where are you going?" Morgan asked, looking up at him.

"To have a walk," Spencer replied. "Maybe the air or the rain will help to clear my mind."

"Good luck," Rossi muttered. "We'll need it if we want to find these Unsubs on time."

The fresh air did nothing to clear Spencer's mind, nor did it help with the constant worry he felt over the fate of the girls, over the team finding out he was dating a wanted criminal, over... over everything that was happening in his life lately. The pouring rain quickly made him seek cover but as he didn't want to go back into the station, he found himself sitting at the Starbucks across the street and sipping on a cup of steaming coffee.

He was there for barely ten minutes when a man sat by next to him, making him look up and frown.

"I thought Pat said he wouldn't tell anyone I was in the city," he muttered.

"No," the man said. "Pat said he wouldn't tell Eliot."

Spencer's friend deepened. "What do you want, Nate?"

"Me?" Nate asked. "Nothing. I just want to sit here and drink my tea. What *you* want, however, is a different deal."

"Sorry for being blunt," Spencer snapped, "But I've had enough people giving me love advice lately. I don't need you to join in."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Nate replied. "In fact, I'm probably the last person you should go to for love advice."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"Can't a man just go to Starbucks because he wants to?" Nate shrugged.

"There are 17 Starbucks coffeehouses in Boston," Spencer said. "Why would a wanted man choose to walk into the one across from a police station? The Feds are in town, you know. You should be more careful. Wouldn't want to get arrested."

"Are you planning to arrest me?" Nate questioned.

"Of course not," Spencer rolled his eyes. "But my team members could walk in at any second, and they won't even hesitate. And then," he added, "I'll have to explain why am I sitting for coffee with Nathan Ford."

"So that's a part of what got you so worried," Nate sighed. "I'll get Hardison to set up a plan B in case you get in trouble."

Spencer shook his head. "Do you even begin to see how wrong that is?" he asked. "I shouldn't need to have a safety net in case my friends ever meet my boyfriend! I should be able to introduce them, like any other normal person."

"Well, unless you have plans to break up with Eliot or leave your job, that's not going to happen," Nate said. "And if you had plans, you would've done it by now. You knew what you were getting to when you started dating Eliot," he added. "You knew what it would mean. Did you change your mind?"

"Of not," Spencer said, sounding at the idea. "If I changed my mind things would have been simpler. I just..." he sighed. "I don't even know what's going on lately."

"Which brings us back to why I'm here," Nate said. "I may not be good on love advice, but I can give you some Eliot advice. We had a case gone bad a couple of weeks back," he explained. "Long story short, Sophie had to fake her death, and she left. She sent someone to replace here, a woman named Tara, but most of the team's still not sure about her."

"He shouldn't take it out on me," Spencer said, growing more and more annoyed.

"No, he shouldn't," Nate agreed. "And he knows it, too. I see how angry he is with himself every time he gets off the phone with you. But..." he shrugged. "Well, you know Eliot."

"Yeah," Spencer sighed. "I do."

"Call him or don't, that's up to you," Nate said, standing up. "Just thought you should know. And don't be mad at Pat for telling me. I watched the news and saw the BAU was in town, I only called him for confirmation."

"Okay," Spencer said, looking down at his coffee as Nate started walking towards the door.

"By the way..." Spencer looked up at Nate as the older man spoke. "Fun fact I learned this week: did you know that there are only six animal shelters in Boston? And Janet Andrews adopted a dog last month."

Spencer opened his mouth to ask Nate how he knew, but the Leverage Team Mastermind was already out the door. He frowned again, looking back at his drink for a couple of seconds before the meaning of Nate's words dawned on him, making him run out.

He wasn't completely sure but if he wasn't wrong, Nathan Ford just solved their case.

* * *

Later that night, they managed to catch their Unsub – a volunteer at the animal shelter and his roommate, a cab driver. They found Regina Tennant and Dani Carol, more than a bit worse for wear but alive nonetheless. By the time they got a confession from the cab driver, the submissive one in the relationship, it was well past midnight.

"Plane leaves tomorrow at eight o'clock," Hotch told them. "Get some rest, you've earned it. Reid," he added as everyone turned to leave, "A word, please."

Spencer sighed as he stayed behind. "If this is about Eli again, I –"

"Please," Hotch said, his tone much softer than usual, "Sit down."

Spencer looked at Hotch for a moment before doing as his boss said.

"Does Eli live nearby?"

Approximately seven minutes by car or twenty three minutes by foot, assuming the rain stopped. Ridiculously close considering the Leverage Team were very much wanted.

"Yes," he said shortly.

Hotch nodded, looking down at his watch. "If you'll go now, he might still be awake," he noted.

"Hotch –"

"I know you asked not to interfere, and I respect that," Hotch cut him off. "All I'm saying is that if you want to, you can have a long weekend here in Boston."

"I…" Spencer muttered. "Really?"

"You were supposed to have most of the week off anyway," Hotch shrugged. "As long as you make sure the paperwork will be on my desk by Monday morning…" He sighed. "Think about it. It might do you some good."

Spencer looked at his team leader for several long moments before looking away. "I'm not sure if I'm wanted there anymore," he admitted.

"Go find out," Hotch replied. "If not, you could always come back to the hotel."

"I…" Spencer sighed, thinking back to his conversation with Nate. "Okay, fine. I'll go to see Eli."

"Good." If Spencer were anyone else, he would have most likely missed Hotch's signature twitch at the corner of his mouth. "You should probably go pack your things. And possibly bring a peace offering.

Spencer didn't wait to be told twice.

* * *

Spencer hesitated before he knocked on the door of the pub. He knew it was late. It was _beyond_ late. Packing his things took some time, and he stopped to buy cookies as a peace offering – though not for the reason Hotch thought he'll need it.

What if Eliot was already asleep? Worse, what if Eliot was awake but didn't want to see him?

Swallowing his pride and fear, he knocked his knuckles against the harsh wood and waited. About a minute later, a woman he never saw before opened the door.

"The bar's closed," she said shortly.

"I know," Spencer said. "I, um… I'm here to see Eliot Spencer."

The woman raised her brow before turning her head towards the inside of the pub.

"Eliot!" she called out. "Some geek's here to see you!"

Spencer waited, moving his weight from one foot to the other. He wasn't sure how long had passed, but it felt like an eternity before Eliot appeared, wearing sweat pants and a Cal-Tech jumper Spencer left there last time he visited.

"What do you want, Tara?" he asked, annoyed. "It's two in the – Spence."

"I take it you know him, then?" the woman – Tara – asked.

"Yes," Eliot replied. "That's Spencer Reid. He's my…"

"I'm his boyfriend," Spencer said after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. "I mean… if he still wants me to be."

For a moment, an odd look crossed Eliot's face before it faded back into apparent indifference. "Come in," he said. "You must be freezing outside."

Spencer walked into the warmth of the room, unsure what to make of Eliot's response.

"Eliot Spencer," Tara repeated, closing the door after him. "Why does that name sound familiar?"

"He's a Fed," a new voice interfered. "Don't worry, though, he won't arrest us."

"Parker," Spencer sighed.

"Dr. Fed," Parker replied, looking at the small smile that tugged Spencer's lips curiously.

"I brought cookies," he said.

At that, Parker's eyes lit up. "Chocolate chips?"

"With a cocoa cookie and the white chips," Spencer added, pulling them out of his bag and handing them to her.

She grabbed it, quickly heading away, and Eliot glanced at the other blonde in the room.

"Tara," he started, "Can we have a moment?"

"Okay," she said, still glancing at Spencer uncertainly. "Call if you need me."

"I'm fine," Eliot replied shortly. "Bye."

And then, they were alone.

"She seems… nice."

"What are you doing here, Spencer?"

Spencer winced slightly. "I had a case in town," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. We just finished, and I…" he sighed. "I'm not sure why I'm here. Maybe I should go."

"Don't."

Spencer let out a shaky breath.

"I can't do this anymore," he said. "This… this bi-polar relationship. If you want me, I'm here, but if you don't… just let me know."

"I do," Eliot quickly said. "I _do_ want you here, I just –"

"Then act like it," Spencer said. "Because lately, it doesn't feel like it."

"I know," Eliot said, moving closer to him. "I know, Spencer, and I… I'm sorry." He pulled Spencer into a hug. "I'm sorry."

Spencer returned the hug silently for a couple of moment before speaking again.

"Nate told me about Sophie." Eliot tensed, but Spencer didn't let go. "I'm guessing Tata is you new grifter?"

"Yes."

Again, Spencer sighed. "I need you to talk to me, Eli. This can't work unless you talk to me."

"Okay," Eliot said without hesitating. "I… I promise to at least try. It's not easy for me, Spence, I'm not used to… to _people_ in my life."

"Then get used to it," Spencer said harshly. "I love you, Eliot, and I'm not going away, so you better start taking that into consideration."

"I will," Eliot promised," pulling Spencer into a hug once more. "And I… I love you, too."

* * *

 **A/N:** **Bit shorter than my usual in this story, but I feel like adding anything else will be pretty pointless... I hope you like it!**

 **~mlr96**


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